General DNR News
DNR reinforces well notification rules
The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources’ Office of Conservation has issued a memo to oil and gas operators and water well owners throughout the state re-emphasizing the need to provide the legally required notification to the commissioner of conservation prior to drilling or using water wells for any purposes other than drilling rig supply operations, including hydraulic fracturing of shale formations to retrieve natural gas.
Oil and Gas Seminar to be held in September in New Orleans
The state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will hold an “Oil and Gas in Louisiana: From SONRIS to Sunset” seminar in New Orleans on September 22-23.
Drilling permit spike highlights trend of increasing exploration
The upturn in drilling permits being handled by the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Office of Conservation this year continues, with 52 drilling permits having been submitted on Monday.
State Mineral Leasing takes another big leap
The Louisiana Mineral Board collected $48.7 million this month, surpassing last month’s record payment of $35.8 million. According to Mineral Board Chairman and Department of Natural Resources Secretary Scott Angelle, “it appears that with the Haynesville Shale discovery underway, several major companies are validating their intentions to develop and produce natural gas in a big way. The state’s energy production figures look to be on the upswing this year.”
DNR Secretary expresses vindication on court ruling
The State Supreme Court issued a decision yesterday in New Orleans to uphold Act 312 of 2006, a legislative enactment designed to ensure proper remediation of environmental damage caused by oilfield operations. The high court declared Act 312 constitutional, emphasizing that the district courts do maintain control of the restoration process, and thus overruling a decision made by a district court judge in Catahoula parish in January 2007.
New Rules for the Louisiana Oilfield Announced
Louisiana Commissioner of Conservation James H. Welsh has issued effective June 29, 2008, two Emergency Rules regarding drilling safety requirements for oil and gas wells located within the state. The temporary moratorium prohibiting drilling within a quarter of a mile of all Louisiana’s interstate highways is now lifted, he said, and the two emergency rules will be in effect for 120 days.
Mineral Lease Sale over the Top - $35 million for June
The state Mineral Board, yesterday, collected $35.8 million in cash bonus payments for leases primarily onshore but particularly from oil and gas leasing taking place in northwest Louisiana, closing out the fiscal year with the highest bonus year for the state since FY 82-83.
Drilling Order near interstates continues for 30 days
Louisiana Commissioner of Conservation James Welsh has issued today a second continuance of a drilling ban imposed last November, prohibiting any new permits for wells to be drilled within a quarter of a mile of an interstate highway.
16 Eurasian Executives visit DNR
It was not just one of those routine days at the office. On Monday, May 19th, the LaSalle Office Building and the state Department of Natural Resources opened its doors to visitors from Eurasia – Russia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and the Ukraine. The group of 16 men and women delegates, who traveled to the U.S. as part of the Special American Business Internship Training Program (SABIT), were particularly interested in the oil and gas industry and commercial opportunities that might exists between this country and theirs.
State Mineral Board Holds May Lease Sale
The State Mineral Board conducted its monthly Lease Sale on May 14, 2008, in the Conservation and Mineral Resources Hearing Room of the LaSalle Office Building in Baton Rouge.